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Quiz about 80s Behind the Lyrics VII
Quiz about 80s Behind the Lyrics VII

80s Behind the Lyrics VII Trivia Quiz


It's the quiz that wouldn't die! See what you know about the names, places, words, and phrases in our favorite '80's songs.

A multiple-choice quiz by umpire63. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
umpire63
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
139,110
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
890
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. In "Storm Front", Billy Joel sings, "We've got the cumulonimbus and a possible gale/ We've got a force nine blowing on the Beaufort scale." What is the highest force on the Beaufort scale?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In the same song, the backup singers sing two words: "mood indigo". What jazz great had a hit by the same name? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In Paul Hardcastle's haunting spoken-word hit "19", what is the difference between the average age of a soldier in WW II and one in the Vietnam War? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Toto took us all to the dark continent in their hit "Africa." One line runs, "I know that I must do what's right/As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti." In what country would you find Kilimanjaro?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The Hooters, in their dark "All You Zombies", sing,"Only Noah saw it coming/Forty days and forty nights/Took his sons and daughters with him/Yeah they were the Israelites." Which of the following was not a son of Noah?
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. In his seminal hit "Sledgehammer", Peter Gabriel sings, "You could have a big dipper/Going up and down, all around the bends." In what constellation would you find the Big Dipper?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. After Don Henley escaped the Eagles, he sang "Boys of Summer", which included these lyrics: "I can see you/Your brown skin shinin' in the sun/You got that hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, baby." What are Wayfarers?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. When Elton John sang, "Goodbye Norma Jean/Though I never knew you at all/You had the grace to hold yourself/While those around you crawled," we knew he was singing about Norma Jean Baker aka Marilyn Monroe. But Baker was her mother's name; what is the last name that appears on Monroe's birth certificate?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Nick Lowe said you had to be "Cruel to Be Kind", and some of the lyrics go like this: "You say you're love is bona fide,/But that don't coincide with the things that you do." What does the Latin term Bona fide mean?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. The "Down Under" group Men at Work sang, "Buying bread from a man in Brussels/He was six foot four and full of muscles/I said, 'Do you speak-a my language?'/He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich." What is the main ingredient in Vegemite and who produces it?
Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. In "Storm Front", Billy Joel sings, "We've got the cumulonimbus and a possible gale/ We've got a force nine blowing on the Beaufort scale." What is the highest force on the Beaufort scale?

Answer: 12

There are actually 13 points in the scale (sometimes called the Beaufont scale), but the first is 0. The Beaufort scale is a system used to estimate wind speed without instruments by observing how the wind affects water, plants, smoke, etc. A force 9 wind moves at 47-54 mph (75-85 kph) and is considered a strong gale.
2. In the same song, the backup singers sing two words: "mood indigo". What jazz great had a hit by the same name?

Answer: Duke Ellington

Ellington--known for such greats as "Don't Get Around Much Amymore" and "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing"--wrote and performed the 1933 hit.
3. In Paul Hardcastle's haunting spoken-word hit "19", what is the difference between the average age of a soldier in WW II and one in the Vietnam War?

Answer: 7

According to Hardcastle, the average age of the average GI in WW II was 26; in Vietnam it was n-n-n-n-n-n-nineteen.
4. Toto took us all to the dark continent in their hit "Africa." One line runs, "I know that I must do what's right/As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti." In what country would you find Kilimanjaro?

Answer: Tanzania

Kilimanjaro, a giant stratovolcano, rises almost 20,000 feet above sea level near the border with Kenya. Its name means "shining mountain" in Swahili.
5. The Hooters, in their dark "All You Zombies", sing,"Only Noah saw it coming/Forty days and forty nights/Took his sons and daughters with him/Yeah they were the Israelites." Which of the following was not a son of Noah?

Answer: Seth

Seth was the son of Adam.
6. In his seminal hit "Sledgehammer", Peter Gabriel sings, "You could have a big dipper/Going up and down, all around the bends." In what constellation would you find the Big Dipper?

Answer: Ursa Major

Ursa Major, or the "Great Bear", includes the Big Dipper. The Little Dipper is in Ursa Minor.
7. After Don Henley escaped the Eagles, he sang "Boys of Summer", which included these lyrics: "I can see you/Your brown skin shinin' in the sun/You got that hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, baby." What are Wayfarers?

Answer: sunglasses

Of course! Those cool black-framed shades wrapped around your eyeballs as you cruise the beachside in your 58 'Vette convertible! Oh, a man can dream!
8. When Elton John sang, "Goodbye Norma Jean/Though I never knew you at all/You had the grace to hold yourself/While those around you crawled," we knew he was singing about Norma Jean Baker aka Marilyn Monroe. But Baker was her mother's name; what is the last name that appears on Monroe's birth certificate?

Answer: Mortensen

Her father's name was Martin Edward Mortensen. Her mother, Gladys, was a schizophrenic, and her father was never around. From John's "Candle in the Wind."
9. Nick Lowe said you had to be "Cruel to Be Kind", and some of the lyrics go like this: "You say you're love is bona fide,/But that don't coincide with the things that you do." What does the Latin term Bona fide mean?

Answer: in good faith

Nick seemed to think his lover was a bit on the sadistic side because she'd treat him poorly but vow her love. "Cruel to be kind means that I love you,/Baby, you've gotta be cruel to be kind."
10. The "Down Under" group Men at Work sang, "Buying bread from a man in Brussels/He was six foot four and full of muscles/I said, 'Do you speak-a my language?'/He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich." What is the main ingredient in Vegemite and who produces it?

Answer: Brewer's yeast/ Kraft

First produced by the Fred Walker Co., Vegemite is a spread rich in B vitamins and very popular in Australia. Kraft claims it sits on the pantry shelves in 9 of 10 homes in Australia. If you want to try it, do so in small doses; Vegemite is an acquired taste!
Source: Author umpire63

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